Automobile-signal.



E. D. FINCH.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.4, 1914.

1,164,800. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

, vention is to construct a signaling device rinrrn 1::-

nMonYn .rmon, or ATLANTA, NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE-SIGNAL.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, EMORY DWIGHT FINoH, citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in automobile signals, and .has particular reference to those of the visual type.

It ofttimes happens when automobiles are passing on narrow stretches of road that one or the other of the drivers desires to signal the second driver that the road is particularly narrow at that point or that for some other reason it is necessary to proceed slowly. Again, it ofttimes happens that one motorist encounters an impassable object in the road and desires that on the approach of another vehicle to warn the driver thereof that danger exists. i

The above observations have impressed upon me the necessity of providing an automobile signaling device which may be employed by the driver of a machine to warn a vehicle coming in the opposite direction to proceed with caution or to come to a complete stop when danger exists.

Therefore, the principal object of my in which is operable from the steering post of an automobile and may be manipulated to dim the automobile head light by afblue glass plate denoting caution or by a red glass plate denoting danger and the advisability of coming to a complete stop.

In connection with the above stated objects I aim to provide a signaling apparatus which is relatively simple in construction and therefore, may be cheaply manufactured andis so designed that it may be easily and quickly applied to any standard form of automobile without requiring any material changes in any of the parts of either the'signaling apparatus or automobile.

. Another and more specific object of my invention is to provide a signaling apparatus consisting essentially of a pair of circular glass plates which are carried by and extend in opposite directions from a rotatable shaft which may be operated from the steering, column of the-machine 'to' bring Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Application filed August 4, 1914. Serial No. 854,992.

either of the glass plates into position to intercept the light rays from one of the automobile side lights.

The above recited and other incidental objects of a similar nature are accomplished by such' means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

Referring to the drawings wherein is illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention, as it is reduced to practice and throughout the several views of which simiiar reference numerals designate correspond.- ing parts, Figure 1 is a top plan view of an automobile of standard lines equipped with my signaling apparatus. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view showing a signaling apparatus removed from the automobile and with its several parts in disassembled relation, but indicating the manner in which the different elements are assembled.

As shown in detail in Fig. 2, my signaling apparatus consists essentially in a rotatable shaft 10, a pair of signal glasses 11 and 12, an operating rod 13, an operating handle let which controls the rod, a bracket 15 by which the shaft 10 is journaled at the side of the adjacent side lamp and a bracket. 16 employed in properly securing the operating rod to the steering column of the automobile.

The shaft 10 is passed through the dash 17 of the automobile, being journaled in a serves, in connection with the spring finger 21,- to yieldably maintain the shaft 10 against rotation when the signal is set, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The shaft 10 is of such length thatits inner end projects a considerable distance into the body of the vehicle, while its forward terminal extends slightly beyond the front of the lamp, indicated at A. In this connecti'on, it will, of course, be apparent that the length of the shaft 10 may be varied to adapt it for use in connection with automobiles having side lamps which are located diflerent distances from the dash. The forvward terminal of the shaft is reduced and threaded as indicated at'r23. Immediately: adjacent this threaded portion is formed a squared shoulder 23 which is of a thickness shoulder 23 when the ears are mounted greater than the diameter of the member 23.

At the inner terminal of the member 23 is formed an annular shoulder 24. Against this annular shoulder 24 are clamped, by

means of a wing nut 25, the apertured ears 26-and 27 which extend laterally from a pair of circular frames 28 and 29.

.It' will be noted that the apertures of the ears 26 and 27 are squared so that the framememberswill be held against rotation on the squared thereon. It will-also be observed that the member 23 is of a length slightly lessfthan the combined thickness of thetwo members 26 and 27. Thus the wing nut may be firmly engaged against the cars so as to securely engage them against the annular shoulder 241. A washer, indicated at 30,

-may be interposed between the nut 25 and tice I find it preferable to form the member bolt or screw. From the member 15 there 11 from blue glass and the member 12 from red'glass, although it is obvious that any other two colors may be employed without departing in any way from the spiritof my invention. I v 1 In order that the shaft 10 may beproperly supported for rotation alongside of the lamp A, so as to permit the different colored glass plates 11 and 12 to be selectively moved in front of the lamp A, Iprovide the bracket 15. This member 15 is formed from asingle strip of metal which is bent into an annulus whereby it may embrace the cylindrical body portion of the lamp A, which is of conventional design, as will be observed upon reference to Fig. 1. I

The terminals of the member 15 are directed outwardly, producing ears 31 which are apertured as at 32 to receive a clamping extends an apertured car 33 which lies in a plane at right anglesto the planeof the members 31 and is adapted, as best shown in Fig. 1, to form, a bearing for the j outer terminal of the shaft 10.

The operating rod 13 s connected to the steering column 34:"of the automobile by means of the bearing bracket 16. Thismem ber 16 is preferably formed from asingle length ofmetal'which is bent to produce loop portion 35. The loop portion 35 em braces the steering column and is clamped fastening device 36. One terminal of the member 16 is disposed inspaced relationto the other terminal, as shown in Fig. 2, so that'the rod 13 may'bear upon the second i A half mentioned terminal 16 thereof. bearing bracket or plate, indicated at 37, is

the terminal 16 by the bolt 36 and a" second engaged over the rod 13. and is secured to 1 bolt 38. It will thus be seen that the rod isjournaled in spaced relation to and supported-by the steering column 34;.2 A universal. connection is employed between the secured so as to form a universalconnectio-n. 1

The uppertermmalof the rod 13 carries a disk 43which is sec'uredin place by means of bolts A14 which'arethreaded on the member 13 and bear against opposite-sides of the disk. The hand'le'l l is of conventional design and is secured to the disk 13, in any desired manner;

From the foregoing description it will. be

obvious that by moving. the handle torotatethe disk 13, the driver. of the machine may move either the blue glass plate into such position that it intercepts the rays 10f light from the lamp A or thatr'he may move the red 'glass'into position in front of thelamp,

It is now to beobserved thatin practice, the blue glass is. employed asa caution sig nal, while the red glassisemployed as a danger signal. It is, of course, desirable that the members 11 and 12' be normally held in such position" that they will not'interfere with'the customary use or the side lamp. It is also desirable'that when moved into a signaling position, the members '11 and 12 beyieldablyyheld therein until the necessity'for the signals. no longer exists.

For this purpose I have provided, as previously' stated, the disk 19 and the spring finger 21. As hasgalsobeen previously ex- 'plained, the disk 1 9' is' fixed-on the dash board. The spring tongue 21 'is,ghowever,

fixed to the shaft 10 and isrotatablethere with, being disposed to bear against the face.

of the n1ember19. The member 19, is pro-- jvided with four quadrantlyspaced apertures 415 inwhich thefree' terminals of the spring finger 21 may engage Thefour apertures are placed in such point'sthat e1ther one of held in nonesignaling'position.

In reduction to practice, 1t has been found) hat the form of this invention illustrated nthe clrawings,'and referred to in the above thereabout by means of a screw or similar description as'the preferredembodiment, is

the most eliicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of this device will necessarily vary, it is desirable to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what isv claimed as new is 1. The combination with an automobile havinga lamp, of a signaling apparatus including a shaft extending through the dash of the automobile alongside the lamp and rota-table on the dash, a pair of glass plates of different color fixed to the forward end of the shaft, an operating rod, a bearing bracket clamped on the steering column and supporting the operating rod-in spaced relation thereto, a universal connection between the operating rod and the shaft, and a handle carried by the rod whereby the glass;

plates may be selectively disposed in front of the lamp to intercept the light rays thereof or may be disposed at one side of the lamp in non-signaling position.

'2. The combination with an automobile having a lamp, of. a signaling apparatus including a shaft extending through and rotatable in the dash of the vehicle alongside the lamp, a pair of glass plates fixed to. the forward terminal of the shaft, and an op erating rod operable from the drivers seat and universally connected to the shaft for rotating the same whereby either of the glass plates may be disposed in signaling position in front of the lamp or may be both disposed at one side in non-signaling position.

8. The combination with an automobile having a lamp, of a signaling apparatus including a shaft extending through and rotatable in the dash of the vehicle alongside the lamp, a pair of glass plates fixed to the forward terminal of the shaft, andan operating-rod operable from the drivers seat and universally connected to the shaft for rotating the same, whereby either of the glass plates may be disposed in signaling position in front of the lamp or may be both disposed at one side in non-signaling position, and yieldable means carried by the shaft for normally holding the same in adjusted position.

4. The combination with an automobile having a lamp, of a signaling apparatus of the character described including a shaft extending through and rotatable in the dash of the automobile, a split ring collar adapted to, be clamped about the lamp, an apertured ear extending from the collar and receiving the forward portion of the shaft, a pair of glass signal plates of different color fixed to the forward terminal of the shaft and removable therefrom, and an operating rod journaled at one side of the steering post of the automobile and universally connected to I cluding a bearing sleeve extending through the dash of the automobile alongside the lamp, a disk member carried on the inner terminal of the sleeve and secured to the inner face of the dash, a shaft extending through the sleeve and rotatable therein, a resilient finger carried by the shaft, said finger engaging with the disk for normally holding the shaft in adjusted position, a pair of glass plates rigidly secured to the lower terminal of the shaft, and an operating rod journaled on one side ofthe steering column of the automobile and operable to move either of the glass plates into signaling position in front of the automobile head lamp, said rod being also operable for moving the plates in non-signaling position at the sides of the lamp. 1 I

6. The combination with an automobile having a lamp, of a signaling apparatus including a shaft extending through and journaled in the dash of the automobile, abracket mounted on thelamp and freely receiving the forward terminal portion of the lam in si nalin aosition with res set C b p thereto, or may be rotated to dispose both of the glass plates in non-signaling position at the sides of the lamp.

7. A device of the character described adapted for attachment to an automobile having a lamp and including a plate mounted upon the dash of the automobile and provided with spaced apertures, a shaft extending through said dash alongside the lamp, a translucent plate carried by the shaft, an operating rod connected to the shaft where-' by the said plate may be disposed in front of the lamp or upon one side thereof, and a spring finger carried by the shaft and adapt- CIA" vof the automobile for operatively support cent plate carriedby the shaft,-an operating front ofthe'lamp or upon one side thereojc, and a bracket embracing the steering post WVitnesses": CHESTER, J. WVIsE, ing the operating rod. EDMUND J. FINC Copies of this patentmaybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the v Commissionerof Patents, Washington, D. G.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature s rod "having unlversal connection With the n presence of two wltnesses.

I shaft whereby the plate may be disposed in EMORY D S 1 v 

